Holy Fortitude

Representative Text

1 Am I a soldier of the cross,
a foll'wer of the Lamb,
and shall I fear to own His cause,
or blush to speak His name?

2 Must I be carried to the skies
on flow'ry beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize,
and sailed thro' bloody seas?

3 Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
to help me on to God?

4 Sure I must fight, if I would reign;
increase my courage, Lord!
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
supported by Thy word.

5 The saints in all this glorious war
shall conquer, though they die;
they see the triumph from afar
by faith's discerning eye.

6 When that illustrious day shall rise,
and all Thine armies shine
in robes of vict'ry thro' the skies,
the glory shall be Thine.

Source: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #366

Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

Notes

Am I a soldier of the Cross? I. Watts. [Holy Fortitude.] Appended to his Sermons, published in 1721-24, in 3 vols., vol. iii., and intended to accompany a sermon on 1 Cor. xvi. 13. It is in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "Holy Fortitude." In Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, No. 671, st. v. and vi. are omitted, but the rest are unaltered. Original full text in all editions of Watts's Works. In the New Congregational Hymn Book, No. 623, it is given in an abbreviated and slightly altered form as — "Are we the soldiers of the Cross?" This is also found in Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, and other collections. It dates as early as the Leeds Hymn Book, 1853. The American use of this hymn is extensive.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
================
Am I a soldier of the Cross? p. 55, ii. In some annotations of this hymn we have found it stated that it is a portion of "Do I believe what Jesus saith?" that the hymn in its full form appeared in Watts's Hymns & Sacred Songs, 1709; and that the portion beginning "Am I a soldier of the Cross?" subsequently appeared in his Sermons, 1721-24. The facts are (1) both hymns appeared in the Sermons, &c, 1721-24, “Do I believe, &c," for Ser. 30, and "Am I a soldier, &c." for Ser. 31; and (2) the two were united as one hymn, and included in the Hymns and Sacred Songs, Bk. i., No. 37, Pt. ii. sometime in the present century. We find it in T. Nelson's edition of Watts, 1844, and others, but in no edition before 1800.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Instances

Instances (1601 - 1700 of 1936)

The National Baptist Hymn Book #ad17

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The National Baptist Hymnal #416

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The National Hymn Book of the American Churches #33

The New Alphabetical Hymnal #d18

The New and Improved Camp Meeting Hymn Book #d6

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The New and Improved Camp Meeting Hymn Book #88

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The New Baptist Praise Book #321

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The New Baptist Praise Book #321

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The New Baptist Psalmist and Tune Book #440

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The New Century Hymnal #66

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The New Century Hymnal #196

The New Christian Harp. 10th ed. #d11

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The New Christian Hymnal #322b

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The New Christian Hymnal #322a

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The New Church Hymnal #203

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The New Church Hymnal #286

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The New Cokesbury Hymnal #197

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The New Evangel #280

The New Gift #d5

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The New Harmonia Sacra #86a

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The New Hymn Book, Designed for Universalist Societies #522

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The New Hymn Book, Designed for Universalist Societies #522

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The New Hymn Book #241

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The New Jubilee Harp #74

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The New Jubilee Harp #74

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The New Laudes Domini #749

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The New Life Hymnal #82

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The New Living Hymns (Living Hymns No. 2) #396

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The New National Baptist Hymnal #388

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The New National Baptist Hymnal (21st Century Edition) #259

The New Revival Glory #d14

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The New Song #115c

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The New Song #116b

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The New Song #118b

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The New Song #177

The Northfield Hymnal #4 #d12

The Old Baptist Hymn Book #d13

The Old School Hymnal No. 7. Rev. #d6

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The Old Story in Song #170

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The Old Story in Song Number Two #211

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The Otterbein Hymnal #426

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The Palm of Victory #71a

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The Palm #142a

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The Peacemaker #185

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The People's Hymn Book #75

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The People's Hymnal #426

The People's Praise Book or Carmina Sanctorum #d23

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #419

The Pilgrim's Harp #d5

The Pilgrim's Hymnal. #d8

The Pilot #d10

The Pioneer Hymnal #d11

The Plymouth Hymnal #d23

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The Popular Hymnal #14

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The Praise Book #148

The Praise Hymnal #407

The Praise Hymnal #149

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The Praise Hymnary #132

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The Praise Offering #143b

The Prayer Meeting Hymn Book #d8

The Presbyterian Hymnal #307

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The Presbyterian Hymnal #518

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The Presbyterian Hymnal #518

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The Presbyterian Juvenile Psalmodist #83

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The Primitive Baptist Hymnal #192

The Primitive Hymns #d14

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The Primitive Methodist Church Hymnal #381

The Promised Crown #d5

The Providence Selection of Hymns, Supplementary to Dr. Watts. #d17

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The Psalmist #721

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The Psalmist #721

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The Psalmody #669

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The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #946

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The Psalms and Hymns #43b

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The Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. #D90

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The Quartet #404

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The Redeemer's Praise #90

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The Reformed Church Hymnal #430

The Revival Harp No. 2 #d3

The Revival Helper #157a

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The Revival No. 2 #103

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The Revival No. 3 #268

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The Revival No. 4 #268

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The Revival No. 6 #102

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The Revival #65

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The Revival #65

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The Revivalist #5

The Revivalist #d4

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The Revivalist #3

The Reward, for Sunday Schools #d2

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The Riverdale Hymn Book #359

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The Royal Fountain No. 4 #24

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The Royal Fountain No. 4 #64

The Sabbath Chimes #d10

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The Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book #27a

Pages

Exclude 1874 pre-1979 instances
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